Pneumatic player-piano action



F. DATHAN. PNEUMATIC PLAYER PIANO ACTION'.

APPUcATroN man 00123, 1911.

PatentedSept. 13, 1921.

2 SHEETS- EET lll/ll F. DATHAN.

PNEUMATIC PLAYER PIANO ACHON. APPLICATION msu ocT.2s, 1917.

1,390,430, PatentedSept. 13, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FRANKDTHAN V UNITED STATES" PATENT ,OFFICE .IFRANKDATHANoF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

PNEUMATIC PLAYEBPrIANo ACTION.`

, v Specification yof Letters Patent.

Patented sept. 13, 1921.

' Application fudoetber 23,1917. serial ism-198,053.

lan improved pneumatic simplify the mechanism of such actions, re-

duce the size and number ofnecessary `working parts, andy to materially 'reduce the friction-of said parts.- A further object 1s toy make `an auxiliary' pneumatic actionof such construction that it can' be built-into an upright straight pianoorbe installed* in one already manufactured. Affurther` ofbject is to provide `in apneumaticaction a supplementary` lpneumatic bellows with means for governing, at thel option' of an operator, the action and degree of force applied'by the primarybellows to 'any blow or movement coming within thefunction of said primary bellows.- A furtherob'jeot is to lprovide in a pneumatic piano action means tionto any standard piano action, becomi a, partthereof and easilyremovable' therewith. 'I Y The invention will behereinafter fully set forth and particularly ypointed out,1in the claims. l l

In the accompanying drawingsf" rlgurev 1 isa vertical ysection of a pneuth Imatic bellows with? my auxiliary bellows in position thereon; Fig. 2`is a side view of a piano-action with thel pneumatics in operativev positionfthereon.' Fig. 2F is afdetail sectional view illustrating the removable extension rail. 2* isa detail yview illustrating the pivotal support of the shelfr carrying the Vmastervalve chest.'v Fig. 3 ,is a

Ilongitudinal section of a master valve chest. Ab

lgfll 1s a verticall central section of a valve chest of my auxiliary lpneumatic bellows. Fig. 5.is a central section of a ke'ybed showing Fig.

Ieferring to the drawings, 1 indicates the base of a master valve chest, having in its 6 is a detail `view of the valve stem bearg. extending through the wall 16 predetermined degree.

a lever controlling air intakev valves.

nether surface, a llongitudinal groove 2. Extending throughout the length of groove 2 is afstrip of Celluloid 3, retained in position by glue or other means, and having ports or bleed holes 4, at intervals throughout its length, which register with larger ports 6, closed by valves 8, positioned to engage valve seats 7. Each of thevalve chest. rIhe groove 2 forms an exhaust channel i connected with van airexhausting device of any preferred type (not shown). v `The valve stem 9, carries a valve l5, in a chamber 13.y When atmospheric air enters the bore 6 throng the tube 21, valve 8 is a port 14, leading through a fixed wall 16, of a pneumatic bellows,l collapsing the saidy bellows until movable wall 17-of saidv bellows encounters illustrated as consisting of a washer on the threaded end lof p lows. The

p Ascrew 19 affords a just-ing the movement means of adof said bellows to a y The vacuum operating'means of the bellows is of usual construction, the master valve chest being connected byy lateral branches 6EL from ports 6, andpipes .21 to a tracker bar.

chanical player and may be operated manually at will be'the player. Suitably attached to the fixed wall of eachl bellows, isa bracket 22,' `to whichis secured one wall 23, ofa minor or auxiliary bellows, smaller than the `bellows ofthe action proper. On the outer surof said auxiliary 27, of the major bellows. i y

The minor -bellows is-controlled yby av port 'in v-a nipple 28,*leading from theinterior of said bellows to a minor valve chest 29, having nipples a, b, and c. The inletsof the ports of nipples, a, Z2, and c are controlled by a central partition 12 i Y oi' the spring.

separatevalves 31, of like construction, hinged to one wall of the valve chest and pressed toward the respective ports by springs 32, to a degree regulated by screws 33, working in the wall of the chest.

Pipes 34 lead from the nipples a, b and c to the upper ends of nipples 36 in the key bed of the piano. The other ends a', b' and c of nipples 36 in said keybed are closed by a flexible spring 37',` one end of which is rigidly secured to keybed, by a screw 38, and the other end of which is slidable, because of a slot 39 in the said spring 37, on a screw 41. The said spring 37 is depressibleby a lever 42 pivoted in abearing 43 secured to the nether surface It will be seen that by reason of this construction the opening of the ports 36 may be accomplished in steps or degrees, thereby producing diierent eiects on the auxiliary bellows which in turn advances or retards the movement of the primary bellows. It is to be understood that there is one auxiliar pneumatic 24 for each pneumatic 17 an one oi the latter for each note of the piano.

I have effected a` considerable saving in the number of parts4 required and in theV space necessary to inclose the action by adopting a verticalposition lor the bellows or pneumatics. vAlso simplilied in like manneris thermode of attachment opneumatic to striker. For instance, on the back ofthe collapsible wall 17, of the major bellows, I have secured a cleat 44, having a rounded lip 46, and a notch 47 for engaging a looped end of a flexible wire or tape 48, the other Y end of which surrounds one endof a wire 49. Thewire49 is threaded .at each end. `Two washers 51, of rubber or fibrous material, are secured on one threaded end of wire 49, between which is the flexible wire 48.V Thev other threaded end of wire 49, is screwed into the wood oi that part of a piano action known `as the wippen, here des'- ignated4 as 50. .I` have found. from experience that in addition to the advantagesof economy o space and material this construction results inafgreatly improved actuating means by reason of theright angled leverage afforded by the wires 48 and 49.

In order to facilitate the repair of adjustment of the working parts of my improv-ed action, I have adopted the novel mode of attachment shown in Fig. 2. Thebase 1 of the master valve chest is screwed, Vas shown vat 52, to a shelf 53,1which is pivoted on a screw 54, to an iron bracketV 56, commonly usedin piano structures.` The entire pneumatic action can be swung downwardly into the vdotted position shown in Fig. 2, affording d out this rail without easy access to the backs of the individual bellows. Thev shelf 53 is held in horizontal position by apin 57 extending through a portion of said shelf into a hole in the iron brackets 56.

In order to further improve the accessibility of the action, I have made a removable extension rail 58, with a wedge shaped vertical groove 59 in its face, making it slidable vertically on a screw 61. It is possible to lift removing the screw 61.

HavingV thus explained the nature of the invention, and described an operative manner o constructing and using the same, although without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made, or all of the forms of its use, the following is claimed Y 1.v An improvement in player pianos comprising striker pneumatics andy means Jr`or operating the same, a wippen, an operating wire attached thereto, and a single integral flexible means-secured at one end to said wire and connected at the other end with one wall of said pneumatic. y y y y 2. An improvement inplayer pianos' comprising a striker pneumatic and means for ,operating the, same, a wippen, an operating wire attached*V thereto,` a cleat attached to a movable part of' the pneumatic, and a single integra-l lexible means provided at one end with a loopl engaging said cleat and having its other end`l secured to said wire.A

3. An improvement in player pianos comprisingv a master valve chest and pneumatics supported thereby, a shelf on which said valve chest is-superposed, pivotal supporting means or said shelf, and meansfor normally preventing/pivotalv movement of the shelf. Y 4. Anr improvement in player pianos comprising` a master valve chest and pneumatics supported thereby, a shelf on which said valve chest issuperposed, a support bracket, a pivotal connection Ybetween said shelf and said bracket, and' means .for preventing pivotal movement* of the shelf,` Y

5. An improvementin player pianos comprising a master valve chest and pneumatics supported thereby, a shelf on which said valve chest isfsuperposed', abracket supportvingfsaid shelf, and an extension rail movably engaging said bracket.

6. An improvement in player pianos comprisinga master valve chestv and pneumatics supported thereby, ay shelf onwhich said valve chestl is superposed,` a bracket supporting saidl shelf, and a rail provided with a wedge groove in one face, said bracket hav- Y ing a projection to engage said-groove.

In testimony Whereo'I aix my signature'.

Y I FRANKDATHAN. 

